Collar support



Oct. 13, 1953 J. B. RANSOM COLLAR SUPPORT Filed July 18, 1951 m T mm VN 7 mm a N ATTY.

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 COLLAR SUPPORT John B. Ransom, Troy, N. Y., assignor to Cluctt, Peabody & 00., Inc, Troy, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 18, 1951, Serial No. 237,323

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a collar support of the type inserted between the neckband and the cape part of the collar in the collar attached type of mens and boys outer shirts, to hold the collar in proper shape. Prior collar supports were either unduly expensive, slow and awkward to assemble, or failed to support the collar adequately, particularly in the rear portions thereof, or became displaced unintentionally in handling.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved support to be used in the space between the neckband part and the folded over or cape part of a collar in outer shirts of the collar attached type.

Another object is to provide an effective and adequate collar support for outer shirts, which may be quickly and easily disposed in supporting position in the collar, which will offer maximum resistance to accidental displacement when the collar which it supports is handled, which gives adequate and full support to the collar for the full length of the neckband, which is almost invisible to the casual observer when in collar supporting position, and which will be relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and practical.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be hereinafter pointed out in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of part of a shirt with the collar supported according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the strip portion of the support;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupler part of the support;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the complete support in the position assumed at assembly, but outside of a collar;

Fig. 5 is a partial front elevation of the assembled support;

Fig. 6 is a partial front elevation, viewed from the line 6-45 of Fig. 1, of a shirt collar with the improved support in position in the collar;

Fig. '7 is a sectional plan of the front of the improved support, the section being taken approximately along line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 3 of the coupler part of the stiffener; and

Fig. 9 is a section of the strip of the support, the section being taken approximately along the line 9-9 of Fig. 2. a

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the garment selected for illustration is a mans outer shirt having a front portion I, a yoke 2, an attached collar having a neckband part 3, and a cape or folded over portion 4.

The support 5 comprises a flexible strip 6 of a relatively thin, pliant, sheet material, having a relatively straight upper edge I, a lower edge 8 which may -be curved slightly in a manner to fit the contour of the shirt front I and yoke 2 when the shirt and support are assembled. The end edges 9 of said strip preferably are nonparallel and oblique to the upper edge I and make equal angles with the longitudinal axis of the strip. Slit-like apertures I0 are located slightly inwardly of said end edges 9 and are preferably parallel thereto, ending at points slightly inwardly from the edges 1 and 8. A flexible coupler II is formed of thin, pliant, transparent plastic sheet material, which is preferably arcuate in shape, the upper edge I2 being concave and the lower edge I3 being convex, and both having about thesame center of curvature. The end edges I4 are also preferably convex and the lower edge [3' is provided with serrations I4 starting at a point slightly inwardly from said end edges I5 and continuing at least well toward the vertical center line of said coupler I I.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the coupler II has its end edges I5 inserted through the angular apertures IU of the strip 6 so as to couple together the ends of the strip 6 that are brought nearly together and form therewith an endless p. The serrations l4, hook over -the lower ends of the apertures I0 and restrain relative movement of said coupler II and strip 6 in a direction to prevent their separation. The cape or folded over section 4 of the collar overlies and exerts a downward pressure on the upper edge l2 of said coupler, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby resisting upward movement of the coupler and thus holds the serrated edge of the coupler from disengagement from the lower ends of the slits or apertures in said strip. Thle coupler ll, shown in Fig. 3, is of a width slight- 1y less than that of apertures II! thereby allowing ready insertion of the coupler II in the slit In of strip 6. When the apertures ID are oblique to the direction of insertion of the coupler ends into the apertures, the convex ends of the coupler facilitate and aid insertion of such ends into the apertures or slits of strip 6. The slit ISJ' in the strip portion of the stiffener is disposed at an angle oblique to its length to give the slit the desired length without excessively weakening the strip. In addition to this important feature, the couplers upper edge [2 is arcuate in shape so that it will fit the collar along the fold line.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the end edges of the strip portion of the collar support are oblique and non-parallel to the upper edge and converge to the same side of the strip, to conceal the end edges from view when the coupler and stripare assembled and disposed in supporting position in the shirt collar, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the practice of this invention, blanks of the type shown in Fig. 2 are stamped from sheetmaterial with the slit-like apertures Iii. These strips can be made of inexpensive material: such as cardboard, and may vary somewhat in length according to the size of collar they are to support. The coupler shown in Fig. 3. is stamped from flexible sheet material, such as from any of the transparent, plastic, sheet materials that are readily available in the open market. These need only bemade of one size for use. with strips 60f differentlengths. To use this collar support, one takes one of the strips s, such as shown in Fig. 2, bendsit into a somewhat horseshoe shape, and inserts it under the cape of the collar in supporting position, and v then the ends-of a coupler, suchasshown in Fig. 3, are inserted through the slits H) in the ends: of the strip 6. This insertion of the coupler continues until the strip and the coupler form a continuous loop encircling the neckband ofthe collar in supporting position as shown in Figs; 1 and. 6. One advantage of using the strips 6 of different lengths is that one may select a length. such that the ends, of the strip when brought into a continuous or closed loop condition under: the collar will have their oblique; ends, 9 of the strip concealed from normalview under the collar cape-as shown in Fig. l.

The teeth M, which form aI serrated. edge are so. shaped, like ratchet teeth, as to: pass freely in one direction into the slits but engage over the strip atthe lower-ends of the slits or'apertures Hi to prevent reverse travel of. the coupler in the slit. The teeth Hi in the lower edge-of the coupler thus may ratchet freely over the cardboard strip in the lower end of the slit when being inserted, and drop by gravity'into interengagement with the portion of the strip at' the lower" end of, the slit or aperture. By using a plurality'oi' teeth at each end of the coupler, the same coupler can be used with all the different sizes of strips, and inserted to the extent that causes the strip and coupler together to snugly encircle the collar at the neckband, and with the upper edge of this support, formed of strip and coupler, resisting any downward pressure on the collar forits' entire periphery. The convex ends: I510fthe coupler are more easily inserted in the slits than blunt or straight ends, and this reducesmaterially the time required to assemble this support in properly supporting position under the collar.

It will be further noted that this type: of collar support, being a closed loop confined under the collar cape, is not easily displaced from its correct supporting position even. though the shirt having the collar so supported might be: roughly handled in packing or display.

I claim:

1. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising a strip of flexible sheet material, of a length less than the periphery of a collar neckband having its end edges oblique to its side edges and converging, if extended; toa point at one side of the strip, the. endportions of said striphaving slits. from face tov face: and generally parallel to but spaced somewhat from said oblique end edges and also spaced from the lower edge of said strip, and a separate coupler of transparent, sheet plastic material having widths, at its ends, less than the lengths of said slits in said strip and the coupler ends extending through said slits to couple said ends of said strip into an endless ring; the lower edge of said coupler being notched toprovide teeth that hook over said strip at the lower ends of said slits in said strip and normally prevent separation of the ends of said. strip.

2. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising a strip of flexible sheet ma terial of. a; length less than the periphery of a collar neclrband having its end edges oblique to its side; edges and converging, if extended, to a point at one side of the strip, the end portions of' said stri'p having slits from face to face and generally parallel to but spaced somewhat from said oblique end edgesand also spaced from the loweredge of said strip, and a separate coupler of transparent, sheet plastic material having widths, at its ends, less than the lengths of said slits-and the coupler ends extending through said slits to couple said ends of said strip into an endless ring, the lower edge of said coupler being notched to provide teeth that hook over said strip at the lower ends of said slits and normally p-re" venting separation of the ends of the strip, said coupler having one side edge concave and the other convex, with the convex edge lowermost.

3. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising a strip of. flexible sheet material of a length less than the periphery of acollar neckband having its end edges oblique to its side edges and converging, if extended, and when in collar supporting position, to a point at the upper side of the strip, the end portions of said strip having slits from face to face and gen.- erally parallel to but spaced somewhat from said oblique end edges and also spaced from the lower edge of said strip, and a separate coupler of sheet material having widths, at its. ends, less than the lengths of said slits, said coupler ends extending through said slits and forming with said strip, an endless ring encircling the neckband of said collar and holding said collar in its laundered condition, saidstrip and coupler having separable but interengageable, cooperating parts that normally resist separation of the strip ends and coupler following their connection through said coupler.

4. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising a. strip of flexible, sheet material of alength less than the periphery of a collar neckband having its end edges oblique to its side edges and converging towards one side of the strip, the interiors of the end portions. of the strip having wholly interior slits from face to face that extend in directions generally crosswise of the length of the strip, and a separate coupler of flexible sheet material having its end portions narrower than the lengths of said slits and extending through the slits of the coupler ends to connect the ends of. the strip and form therewith a closed loop, the lower edge of said coupler being notched to provide teeth detachably. engaging with and hooking to the strip at I the lower ends of said slits.

5. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising a strip of flexible, sheet material of a length less than the periphery of a collar neckband,.the interiors of the end portions of the strip having wholly interior slits fromface to face that extend in directions generally crosswise of the length of the strip, and a separate coupler of flexible sheet material having its end portions narrower than the lengths of said slits and extending through the slits of the coupler ends, connecting the ends of the strip, and forming therewith a closed loop, the upper side edge of said coupler being concave and the lower one convex, and the lower edge having a plurality of notches in succession, near to but spaced from each end thereof.

6. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising an approximately straight strip of flexible sheet material having wholly interior, slit-like apertures in its end portions that extend generally crosswise of the length of the strip, and a separate coupler of flexible sheet material having its end portions narrower than the lengths of said apertures and extending through said apertures to connect said strip ends and form a closed loop band, the lower edge of said coupler having formed therein and near each end thereof a succession of ratchet teeth engaging with the strip at the lower ends of the apertures for resisting withdrawal of said coupler ends from said apertures.

'7. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising an approximately straight strip of flexible sheet material having slit-like apertures in its end portions that extend general- 1y crosswise of the length of the strip and have their lower ends above the lower edge of said strip, and a separate coupler of flexible sheet material having its ends portions extending through the apertures to connect the strip ends and form therewith a closed loop band, said coupler having ratchet teeth in its lower edge which engage with the strip at the lower ends of the apertures for resisting withdrawal of the coupler from the slits.

8. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising an approximately straight strip of flexible sheet material having wholly interior, slit-like apertures in its end portions that extend generally crosswise of the length of the strip, and a separate coupler of flexible sheet material having its end portions narrower than the lengths of said apertures and extending through said apertures to connect the strip ends and form therewith a closed loop band, the lower side edge of the coupler being convex and the upper side concave, and the lower edge of the coupler having a row of ratchet teeth near each end, the teeth of one row being oppositely inclined to those of the other row, and all resisting withdrawal of the coupler ends from said apertures.

9. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising an approximately straight strip of flexible sheet material having wholly in terior, slit-like apertures in its end portions that extend obliquely to the length of the strip and converge, when in collar supporting position, in an upward direction, and a separate coupler of flexible, sheet material having its ends entering and passing through said apertures and forming with the strip an endless band, said strip and coupler ends having interengageable portions that oppose withdrawal of the coupler from the apertures.

10. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising an approximately straight strip of flexible sheet material having wholly interior slit-like apertures in its end portions that extend obliquely to the length of the strip and converge when in collar supporting position, in an upward direction, and a separate coupler of flexible, sheet material having its ends entering and passing through said apertures and forming with the strip an endless hand, one edge of the coupler being concave and the other convex, and the convex edge being serrated in its end portions to hook over said strip, at the lower ends of said apertures, and oppose withdrawal of the coupler from said apertures.

11. A collar support for shirts with attached collars, comprising a strip of thin pliant sheet material having wholly interior, slit-like apertures disposed slightly inwardly of said ends and extending in directions generally crosswise of the length of the strip, and a separate arcuate coupler having convex end and lower edges, and an upper concave edge, said lower convex edge being serrated in its end portions to engage with the strip at the lower edges of the apertures.

12. A collar support for shirts with attached collars having a fold line running lengthwise of the interior of the collar, comprising a generally straight strip of flexible sheet cardboard, having a width approximately equal to the width of that part of the collar, at one side of the fold line, which abuts the neck of the wearer, and a length approximately equal to the length of the collar along its fold line, and a separate coupler of transparent, sheet material disposed at the front of the collar, with its ends overlapping with the ends of the strip and forming with the strip an endless band completely encircling the shirt at the collar, the overlapping parts of said coupler and strip having detachable interengaging portions.

JOHN B. RANSOM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,814,653 Wilson July 14, 1931 2,334,068 Chadwick Nov. 9, 1943 2,551,879 Freedman May 8, 1951 

